Pedro Says Tanaka Will Not Remain Healthy This Season
CBS – Pedro Martinez is not an orthopedic surgeon, but he’s talking in the media like he is. No one outside of an orthopedist, or Masahiro Tanaka himself, has as much insight regarding what the New York Yankees ace is going through right now as Martinez does. Speaking with Adam Schein on MLB Network Radio on Wednesday afternoon, Martinez said Tanaka looks unhealthy to him, and doesn’t expect his right elbow to be right all season. Tanaka has avoided Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery because several different doctors have given the medical opinion that he could pitch through the small tear in his UCL. Martinez says he can tell from watching Tanaka in spring training that he’s being tentative because he’s probably worried about tearing the ligament completely — which probably is going to happen someday. It’s just a matter of when.
The Yankees used to be Pedro’s daddy when he pitched for the Boston Red Sox. Now he’s their doctor. Via the New York Daily News:
“Unless they come up with a magic trick to actually get him better during the season, I just don’t see him completely healthy all year,” said Martinez, who is now an MLB Network analyst.
Losing Tanaka would be critical, said Martinez. He calls the pitcher “the biggest key for the Yankees. I don’t think they can afford to lose Tanaka.”
Well thanks captain obvious!
Its not like the Yankees sent Tanaka to a billion doctors and probably some Japanese healing voodoo doctor before deciding he could play. Tanaka is the ticking time bomb that will terrify Yankees fans all season, but the last medical opinion we need is the one of a guy that doesn’t even have a high school education.
A few others have noted that Tanaka has looked a little rough around the edges during the course of the spring, but that is par for the course with him. On top of trying to mix in a 2 seamer, that is slower than the 4 seamer, he is notorious for trying new things and playing around during the spring. In Japan he was always like this. Last year in MLB he was like this. Will he make it through the year without needing TJ surgery? Who knows. It seems like every top prospect that has ever thrown a baseball needs it lately, but I don’t know what miracle potions he took in Japan during the offseason. Anything is possible with this guy.
PS: Is anyone really going to take medical advice from a guy that let KFC interview him?